The navy’s Hsiaohsuehshan (小雪山) radar station — one of only a few high-altitude radar installations — plays a key role in securing Taiwan’s western seas, Chinese-language newspaper the United Daily News (UDN) reported on Sunday.
The station is perched atop Hsiaohsuehshan, a lesser peak of the rugged Hsuehshan Range (雪山山脈) that straddles the border between Taichung and Miaoli County.
At 3,020m from the mountain’s foot, the station’s horizon is 20km in the distance, bringing ships passing through the Taiwan Strait within its range, the report said.
The facility was built to replace an old navy and air force joint radar station on Hsinchu County’s Leshan (樂山), which passed to the exclusive jurisdiction of the air force after a US-made phased-array radar system was installed, the UDN said.
The Hsiaohsuehshan site used to house a Chinese Television System (CTS) TV antenna, but was taken over by the navy following its abandonment in the aftermath of the 921 Earthquake in 1991, it said.
The site was a boon to the navy, as the new radar station’s elevation is 400m higher than its predecessor’s, improving its detection range, the newspaper said.
The inaccessible location of the base poses unique challenges for the navy and marine corps personnel stationed there, as supplies from military stores in Taichung’s Taiping District (太平) have to be transported through difficult terrain that is covered by snow in winter, it said.
No commissary or medical officers are available on base and the personnel carry their own snacks and medicines on the way up, it said.
The sailors and marines often need to fight against the elements, as the antenna masts have to be taken down before typhoons and during summer they are constantly called on to repair lightning damage caused by thunderstorms, it said.
In consideration of the austere conditions, troops stationed on Hsiaohsuehshan are on a 30-day rotation, where they are allowed 10 days of rest and recreation for every 20 days on duty, it said.
Due to the base’s remoteness and the garrison’s small size, troops on the mountain develop ties of strong brotherhood, station commander Lieutenant Commander Hsieh Chi-ho (謝吉和) told the UDN.
“Disciplinary problems stemming from personal conflict rarely occur,” he was quoted as saying.
Chuang Chung-neng (莊忠能), a naval electronic warfare specialist with a non-commissioned rank, told the newspaper that he had been deployed to 18 radar stations under the Naval Maritime and Surveillance Command before volunteering for Hsiaohsuehshan four years ago.
“I am used to the discipline and life in the mountains. If they let me, I would choose to serve here until retirement,” he said.
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